While You Were Sleeping
by themightyeskimo42
Summary: After the death of her parents and aunt,Elena works nonstop to support herself and Jeremy.After falling in love with a customer,Stefan,she finds her life flipping upside down when she's mistaken as Stefan's fiancee by his family after saving his life.She spends time with his family and finds herself drawn to his brother Damon. AH/AU Based on the movie of the same name.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So I'm literally the worst fanfic writer ever. I know I still have Disturbingly Human to update, but I lost my motivation and real life got in the way and blah blah blah, you know the story hahaha :) I'll try to update soon, but for right now my muses are pushing this story on me ;) Anyways, I've recently become addicted to Delena and Delena fanfiction,so I thought I'd give it a chance. This story came to me when I was reading another fanfic (I'm fairly certain it was LoveEpicLove's Sweet and Sexy Mistakes...and if you haven't read her other stories,you really should!) It's based off the movie by the same name, but I'm going to tweak the story so that it fits Damon and Elena and whatnot. I don't know if anyone has done this storyline before (I hope not! I don't want to copy off of anyone!) but let me know! Well I'm babbling and I'm sure you want to get on with it,so without further ado, here's While You Were Sleeping ;)**

**Disclaimer:I don't own anything.**

* * *

_There he was._

Elena was working yet another night shift at Mystic Grill, and the only difference from every other late shift is that it was Christmas Eve. She should be spending this time with her family, just like everyone else. Except she didn't have any left.

For a moment, she let herself remember the last Christmas Eve she had been able to spend with her family. It was five years ago, and just thinking about it brought a tear to her eye. Elena's parents had thrown their annual Christmas Eve party, and everyone important to her had been there. Elena's parents had agreed not to exchange gifts that year, but each had secretly bought something for the other and been pleasantly surprised that night. Aunt Jenna had brought Logan Fell to the celebration, and he proposed that night much to her surprise and delight. Jeremy had been happy, receiving a new guitar from "Santa" and playing holiday melodies until the wee hours of the morning. Elena brought Matt to the party and at that time, they had been extremely happy. It was all perfect, and she had all the hope in the world that it would continue.

Until that hope had been shattered, of course.

That New Year's Elena's parents, as well as Jenna and Logan, had gone to the Gilbert's lake house to celebrate the occasion. Elena had been ecstatic because their absence meant that she could throw an outrageous party for her and her friends. She was on her second bottle of champagne when her phone rang. She was afraid to answer it, in case it was her parents, but she did anyways. The person on the other line changed her life forever. Apparently on the way to the lake house, Logan, who had offered to be the designated driver, had swerved to miss a deer and had driven off of Wickery Bridge. Logan was the only one to make it out of the crash alive, and he was paralyzed from the waist down. Within a few short minutes, Elena and Jeremy had been made orphans.

Elena was forced to grow up fast. The following day was the worst day of her life, which she spent trying to console Jeremy and stay strong for him without falling apart herself. She quickly withdrew from her friends and Matt, spending all of her free time at Mystic Grill earning money to take care of her and Jeremy. It wasn't exactly the ideal way to spend the second semester of her senior year, but she had no choice. When Jeremy offered to get a job, she refused, saying that she wanted him to have as normal a high school experience as he could. Eventually, Matt broke up with her, and the only friend she has left was Caroline.

Thank goodness for Caroline. Just when Elena had been pushing everyone away, she had been pushing right back. She had seen Elena at her worst, the times when she wouldn't even let Jeremy see her, and Caroline had always been there with an encouraging word, a pint of ice cream, or words of malice towards the people Elena hated. Thanks to her persistence, she and Elena were still best friends. However, she was spending the holidays with her boyfriend Tyler and his family, and thus, she couldn't be with her.

Jeremy was currently going to college for graphic design, and he loved every minute of it. Though Elena had given up her dreams of going to college for journalism for the time being, that didn't mean she discouraged Jeremy. She was still working as often as she could to put him through school, and she hoped that one day she would be able to do the same. He too was not able to come home for the holidays, as he was meeting his girlfriend Anna's parents for the first time. When Anna had originally asked him to spend Christmas with her and her family, he hadn't wanted to leave Elena alone for Christmas. However, Elena urged him to go, reassuring him with repeated "I'm fine"s and "I'll be okay"s. Eventually he relented and went to New York with Anna.

So that's how she came to be working late Christmas Eve.

No one was there, except for _him_.

He had been coming in every night for the past few months, and from the moment she set eyes on him, she fell in love. He always came in dressed in a suit and ordered a burger with fries and a beer. He almost always sat there with a book or the paper and didn't say a word to anyone. It wasn't until he paid one night with a credit card that she found out his name. _Stefan Salvatore_. What a romantic name, she thought to herself. Though he had never said anything more than "thank you" to her, she couldn't help but feel her palms sweat and heart rate speed up when she was around him. It was surprising that she didn't know more about him, seeing as how Mystic Falls was a fairly small town. Whenever she tried to find out more about him, all she discovered from people (well not people, just Caroline) was that he worked for his family's business, Salvatore Industries, which had varying interests including land and timber. He also lived in the old Salvatore Boarding House with his family, but she was not sure who else lived with him. She really needed to get out more.

As she was the only waitress there, she quickly walked up to him and took his order. She contemplated striking up a conversation with him while his food cooked, seeing as how they were the only two people in the restaurant, but he seemed wrapped up in the daily paper and she didn't have the courage to interrupt. His food was ready soon after and she swiftly delivered it to him, hoping he would eat quickly so that she could avoid the awkward situation and go home to her trusty dog Mason and have a pathetic Christmas celebration.

She tried to not stare at him, but she couldn't help it. His chiseled jaws and cheekbones, his green eyes, and his sandy blonde hair all drew her eyes to him. She then tried to keep busy by counting the money in the cash register, cleaning tables, refilling the salt and pepper shakers….anything that would keep her from looking at him and thinking about him.

Finally he finished his dinner and beer and left a one hundred dollar bill on the table, yelling out, "Merry Christmas!" before walking out the door. She was floored by his kindness; he obviously knew how much the check would be, seeing how he ordered the same things every time, but he didn't have to give her an almost 600% tip. She rushed out to thank him, but she was stopped in her tracks.

Before her unfolded a scene out of a nightmare. There were four masked men surrounding Stefan, yelling at him to give them his money and keys to his car. When he refused, one pulled out a gun and Elena's heart stopped in her chest. Before she could even blink, Stefan knocked the gun out of the man's hand, but didn't see the other man on the opposite side come towards him. When he realized the other man's approach, he couldn't defend himself in time. The man landed a punch to the chiseled jaw that Elena was earlier admiring. Stefan lost balance, as he was moving to block the blow, and fell backwards onto the pavement. He landed with a cracking noise, and soon there was blood surrounding his head.

The men looked down and knew that if they continued in their pursuits, they would undoubtedly be caught and thrown in jail. They ran away, and as soon as they did, Elena finally found the ability to move, which in the previous moments had eluded her. She rushed to Stefan's side, talking to him and trying to garner a response. When that didn't work, she checked his pulse and noticed it was there, but weak. She whipped out her phone and quickly dialed 911. She described the situation to the dispatcher and urged desperately that they hurry. She hung up and cradled Stefan's head in her lap, not caring about the blood all over her clothes. She prayed to a god, any god, to spare him. She saw his eyes flicker up at her for the briefest of seconds before they shut again. She had hope that he would pull through, and she took the breath she had been holding since she ran outside as she saw the flashing lights of an ambulance approaching.

* * *

**A/N: Anyways,let me know what you think ;) Reviews keep me motivated and I'd love to hear what you have to say!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey everyone! I just want to thank everyone who read, alerted, favorited, and reviewed the last chapter! It really means a lot that you take the time to do so :) Anyways, this chapter, like the last, is unbeta'd, so please be gentle with my mistakes! Without further ado, here's the next chapter ;)**

**Disclaimer: I still own absolutely nothing.**

* * *

As Elena opened her eyes from the depths of sleep, she realized she wasn't at home. In fact, she was in the last place she ever wanted to be at again: the hospital waiting room. Before she could gather her bearings, however, an older nurse approached her during her bout with painful memories and interrupted, "Ms. Gilbert, may I speak with you?"

"Of course, call me Elena though." Elena couldn't remember what had happened the night before, or how she had ended up at the hospital, so she hoped that the nurse could provide some insight.

"Well Elena, I am sorry I can't be the bearer of better news. Unfortunately, your fiancé has slipped into a coma and we don't know when or if he will wake up."

Fiance? What was this nurse talking about? Elena thought to herself, the surprise evident on her face.

Seeing Elena's shock, the nurse quickly added, "However, if it wasn't for you, it's likely he wouldn't even be alive! You can go see him now dear."

Then it all came flooding back to Elena. When the ambulance arrived to take Stefan to the hospital, she tried to get into it with him; however, the EMTs said that only a family member could accompany him. Elena hadn't wanted to leave Stefan alone in his condition, especially on Christmas Eve, so she hastily lied and said that she was his fiancé. Stefan didn't have a wedding band on his left ring finger, so it seemed to be a believable story. She hopped in and held Stefan's hand as they raced towards the local hospital.

When they arrived the EMTs rushed Stefan to the emergency room, and Elena had been forced to wait in the waiting room while the doctors assessed Stefan's condition. She had been so emotionally exhausted from the ordeal and physically exhausted from her shift that she fell asleep in her chair.

She followed the nurse to his room, having flashbacks of the last time she was here and the accident that tore her family apart. She stepped into his room and saw him there, looking almost angelic as he slept. Elena quickly jumped to his side, as if to comfort him if he were to wake up. However, she had to remind herself that he might never do so. She took his hand, rubbing delicate circles into it while getting lost in her thoughts.

The nurse once again interrupted Elena's mind, saying from the doorway, "You two look so good together. How did you meet? And when were you planning to get married?"

Elena turned to her, fighting the internal battle of whether or not to tell the truth. In the end, she decided to continue to stretch the truth, replying, "We met at my work. I'm a waitress at Mystic Grill. And we hadn't decided yet, he just asked me tonight."

That wasn't much of a lie, Elena told herself. Except the whole getting married and knowing each other business….

The nurse looked sadly at Elena, almost looking as a grandmother looks upon a grandchild, softly responding, "It'll be alright dear. He'll come out of this, and you will have the most beautiful wedding. I promise." She plastered a sweet smile on her face, attempting to reassure Elena.

It was at this point that Elena decided to be honest with the nurse; she looked too kind and well-meaning to be lied to.

"Listen Nurse….", Elena tried to remember her name.

"My name's Bonnie dear, just Bonnie." she finished with a tender smile.

"Bonnie, I have a bit of a confession. I'm not really…" and before Elena could finish her sentence, the two were interrupted by a herd of people.

"What happened? Is Stefan okay?" one of them hurriedly asked.

Elena panicked and quickly ran to the corner of the room, trying to hide from these people who were more than likely Stefan's family.

From the back, she noticed that there were three men and a woman. The oldest one, sporting styled gray hair and the same eyes as Stefan must be Stefan's father. The other three must be relations of some sort…but Elena wasn't going to ask how and draw attention to herself.

Bonnie calmed the crowd of people and explained the situation to them. Just as she was finishing up, she added with one of her soft smiles, "And if it weren't for Stefan's fiancé Elena, he might not even be alive right now."

The woman, a blonde similar in age to Elena and Stefan, piped up angrily, with her British accent apparent, "Fiance? Since when is Stefan engaged? How could he not tell us! We live in the same house for goodness sake!"

"Calm down Rebekah. You know how much of a workaholic Stefan is….or at least he claimed to be. Plus we all live on separate ends of the house. He probably would have told us today, if he could have." reassured the curly-locked man. He looked similar to Rebekah, so they must be siblings Elena thought.

Before Elena could successfully escape, Rebekah turned her back to face Elena, "And who might you be?"

Elena thought for a second about bolting without a word, but before she could carry out that plan, Bonnie interjected, "That would be Elena. She called the ambulance and hasn't left the hospital since we admitted him."

With that, the entire group turned to appraise her. They skeptically looked her up and down, and it wasn't until the man with the mysterious eyes and brown hair moved forward and extended his hand that any of them spoke to her.

"Hello there, I'm Elijah Mikaelson. Please excuse my siblings and my uncle for their poor manners."

Elena shook his hand with a shy smile, as Elijah was very charming. She could also tell that he was a truly genuine person.

"It's alright. I know this is all a bit of a shock to you and your family. However, there's something I need to tell you…"

But before Elena could finish and finally confess, Rebekah glided forward and took Elena in for a hug.

"I'm sorry for being so rude Elena, it's just none of us knew you existed darling. However, I have a feeling that we are going to be great friends!" she said with a smile as she finally pulled back from Elena.

Though Elena had seen Rebekah's angry side, she also saw that deep down she could be sweet. She hoped that they could be friends, but she was unsure that they would have a chance. Someday his family would find out the truth, and then they would want nothing to do with her.

The curly-haired man caught Elena's attention next, gently grabbing her hand and kissing it, adding, "Pleasure to meet you Elena, I'm Klaus. I don't know how much Stefan has told you about our family, since he has told none of us about you, but we're Stefan's cousins. We moved here to help Uncle Giuseppe out with the family business. We live with him, Stefan, and Damon in the boarding house."

Who's Damon? Elena thought to herself. Apparently the curiosity was evident on her face, because then Klaus spoke, "Damon is Stefan's brother. I'm surprised Stefan hasn't mentioned him, though of course, they aren't as close as they used to be. Damon is on his way; he wasn't at the boarding house this morning when we received the news."

Before Elena could process all this new information, Giuseppe spoke up with a slight Italian accent, "And I dear Elena, as you have probably guessed, am Stefan's father and boss. I own Salvatore Industries. It is a joy to meet you, though I truly wish it had been under better circumstances. I'm quite surprised he had never mentioned you before, though he has always been a bit secretive about his private life…"

Rebekah interrupted, "Except with Katherine."

"Come on Rebekah, do we really need to bring her up right now? On a family holiday, with Stefan in a coma? At least Damon isn't here to hear about it", Elijah interjected.

"Well when we came here, I thought he was still with that infected twat. I'm glad that he finally dumped her though, because Elena seems absolutely nothing like her."

Elena could tell that there was a long back story behind all of this, but that was not the time and place to bring it up. She just stood there with a smile plastered to her face, unsure of what to do.

"Elena, shouldn't you be celebrating with your family?" Klaus asked with a twinge of concern in his voice.

"Well, I don't really have a family. My parents and my aunt died awhile ago, my brother is with his girlfriend's family for the holidays, and my best friend is with her boyfriend's family as well. I was just going to spend the day alone."

Stefan's family looked upon her with a pitiful gleam in their eyes before Rebekah exclaimed, "Well then why don't you come over for a Christmas dinner and celebration? We'd love to have you, and no one should be alone today! Plus, you're practically family anyways!"

Elena wanted to refuse, and almost did before Elijah cut her off, "We won't take no for an answer Elena. Like Rebekah said, no one should be alone today. I know we'll have an overabundance of food, and we'd enjoy your company."

Giuseppe insisted as well, and with that, Elena agreed. She was just about to thank them for their generous invitation when someone entered the doorway frantically.

"What's happened to Stefan? Is he going to be okay? Why isn't he awake? Who is this?" the man swiftly huffed out, tilting his head towards Elena.

Giuseppe intervened and said, "Damon, we can discuss the particulars later. And this is Elena. She saved your brother's life, and she's coincidentally his fiancé."

Elena turned around to greet her fake fiancé's brother when she was met by bright blue eyes. If Stefan was handsome, Damon was 10 times that. He was tall, had a chiseled physique (from what she could tell) and mop of raven black hair. The tight jeans and v-neck shirt did nothing to help hide his body, and Elena had to remind herself not to drool.

Before she could catch her breath or say anything, he greeted her with a smirk and his hand, saying, "Hi Elena, I'm Damon, Stefan's dashing older brother. It's nice to meet you."

Elena eeked out a hello in return, but that's all she could muster. That's when she knew she had dug herself a hole that she wasn't sure she would ever get out of. One thing she was absolutely sure of is that Damon Salvatore would bring her nothing good…

* * *

**A/N: And with that, the chapter is done! Let me know what you think, what you'd like to see, etc etc :) It keeps me motivated! Also I hope to update at least once weekly from now on!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey everyone! So I know that I said I would make weekly updates, but I had an impromptu trip to Chicago at the beginning of this week that kindof threw that whole plan off. Plus this chapter took me days to write (hence the over 5,000 words-the largest chapter that I've ever written!) This, like every other chapter, is unbeta'd, so it is more than likely filled with errors. I'm sorry, I just really wanted to get this out to you guys before I leave for Indianapolis for the weekend. I hope you enjoy it! :)**

* * *

Elena heard the familiar melody of Aqua's "Barbie Girl" on her phone and knew she was in trouble. She sighed against her car, debating on whether or not to answer it. Caroline was on the other end, and Elena knew that anything that her best friend would have to say wouldn't be good.

Elena had quickly said goodbye to Giuseppe and his family soon after Damon's arrival, feigning the need to go home to prepare for the night's festivities. The truth was that she needed to get a grip on herself and her emotions. She was supposed to be "engaged" to Stefan and here she was, practically fawning over Damon. It had to stop. She wasn't engaged to Stefan! She didn't even know anything about Damon! She had no real attachment to either of them, and so she considered calling Rebekah and making up an excuse for not going tonight and avoiding their family all together.

But something stopped her. When she was with Stefan's family she felt something that she hadn't felt since her parents and Jenna died. It was a closeness, a sense of family and belonging. Sure, Elena still had Jeremy and she loved him dearly, but after the tragedy they just couldn't feel whole again. After Jeremy left for college, that hole in their lives got a little bit bigger. Jeremy filled it at least a small amount with the addition of Anna into his life, and of course Elena had Caroline…but she could still feel the emptiness. And that hole was almost forgotten when she was around the Salvatores and the Mikaelsons. Thus she decided, against her better judgment, to attend the party.

She pulled into the driveway, and that's when her phone began to ring. Elena wasn't sure if she could handle any more emotional drama, but Care had always been there for her. If something was going on, she needed to be there for her in return.

"Hey Care, what's…"

Before Elena could even finish her sentence, Caroline cut her off angrily, "I can't believe you didn't tell me you were engaged! You didn't even tell me you were dating someone! And that that someone is one of Mystic Falls' most eligible bachelor Stefan Salvatore! I thought we were best friends Elena!"

Elena groaned, hurrying to unlock her door and get inside so that she could explain the situation to her best friend. As soon as she got inside, she sat down on the couch in her living room, preparing herself for the barrage of questions and guilt trips Caroline was going to unload on her.

"How did you find out Caroline?"

"Oh please Elena, really? I know all the town gossip as soon as it happens, and you know that. But," she let out a long dramatic sigh, "if you must know, my mom was at the police station working on a case and was there when you called about the attack. She didn't go to the scene or the hospital, but she was still there when the officers who did came back. They mentioned Stefan's fiancée saving him and they said your name. Imagine my mother's surprise, and of course she called me to confirm and here we are. Mind filling me in Lena?"

Elena knew she couldn't lie to her best friend and with that, she diverged the whole dirty story, including her months long mild obsession with Stefan….which she had yet to tell Caroline about. Surprisingly, Caroline stayed relatively silent during the whole thing, only adding the occasional, "Oh my God" when appropriate.

When Elena finished the story, including Damon, Caroline stated the obvious, "Wow, you're in a bit of a pickle."

"Thanks Care, I didn't figure that one out myself," Elena replied sarcastically. "Now seriously, should I go tonight? I mean, it will be so awkward and I'll be trying to avoid Damon the whole time…but it might be nice to be somewhere with people on Christmas."

"Do whatever you'd like Elena. I think that Mason might miss ya, but I think it might be good to have some human contact," Caroline giggled into the phone.

At that moment, the dog in question nuzzled Elena's leg as he acknowledged her return home. She scratched his head, realizing he hadn't been fed since before she left for work the previous afternoon, and swiftly moved to the kitchen to feed him.

While she poured the food into his bowl, she said, "I don't know Care, this whole situation keeps spiraling more and more out of control. What if I go tonight and I actually like them? Won't it make telling them the truth even more hard?"

"Look Elena, I think you just need to live in the moment. What if Stefan never wakes up? It's not like they'll know if you're lying. And from what I can tell, you already like them and deep down I know you've already decided to go."

Elena moved back to the couch, rolled her eyes, and mumbled, "You know me too well Caroline. I guess I'll go and just see what happens."

"Good! By the way, I'm leaving early to come back to Mystic Falls. I won't let you go through all this drama alone."

Elena could almost hear Caroline's smile through the phone.

"Tyler's parents are driving you crazy, aren't they?," Elena asked suspiciously, knowing that her best friend.

"No…wait…yes they are, but that is not the main reason I'm coming back! I have to support my best friend in her time of need!" added an exasperated Caroline.

"Alrighty Care, just let me know when you get back," chuckled Elena, "Well, I have to go get ready for my imminent death. Love you and I'll see you later."

"Love you too Elena. Have fun tonight!"

With the click of the phone, Elena ran upstairs to get into the shower. She turned it the knob so that it could warm up a bit before she got in. She slid off her clothes slowly, wondering what it would feel like if it was Stefan doing it for her. Or Damon…

No no no no no, she screamed internally. She needed to stop thinking of the two Salvatore brothers…especially the one who was NOT her fake fiancé. She got into the steaming shower and scrubbed every last inch of her body, and as she wasn't sure what she was going to wear, she also took extra time to make sure her legs were completely hairless and smooth.

When she was done, she got out and wrapped a towel around her body. She entered her closet, searching for the perfect outfit. She started throwing clothes around, taking a good while until she found it. It was an old sweater of her dad's that he wore around the holidays.

Yes, it was the obligatory ugly Christmas sweater. It was bright red and light blue, with Christmas trees, snowmen, hearts, and stars. Her dad had hated that sweater, but it was Elena's favorite as a child, so he wore it almost every Christmas. She had kept it after the accident to remind her of all those good memories, and she decided it was perfect for the occasion. Even if she looked like a complete idiot, she would be comfortable and festive.

The sweater came halfway down Elena's thighs, so she paired it with a pair of black leggings and some flats. She straightened her hair as she usually did, applied only mascara and a bit of eyeliner, and added a little bit of lip gloss. Eventually she ran out of things to prolong her eventual departure to the party.

She went downstairs, making sure she left a bowl of food and water for Mason. She set down a big bone next to dog, whispering as she ruffled his hair, "Merry Christmas boy. I'll be back later." She grabbed her coat and gloves, putting them on as slowly as possible. Once she was done, she stood in her kitchen, trying the come up with something to extend her time at home.

Without anything to keep her from leaving, Elena grabbed her purse and walked out to her car. She got in and pulled out the directions that Rebekah had given her, though most people in Mystic Falls knew where the Salvatore Boarding House was. She started the car and followed the directions, softly humming or singing along to the holiday songs on the radio as she drove.

Eventually she pulled up to the boarding house…more like a mansion really. Elena parked her car and took a moment to gawk at the size of the Salvatore house. Yes, Elena had lived in Mystic Falls her entire life, but she had never seen the famed home before now. It was tucked into the woods, but looking at it now, the home seemed to never end. She began to feel that feeling in the pit of her stomach telling her that she was in far over her head….she could leave right now. She could just drive away and wait for the truth to come out. She could take the easy way out.

Before she could get into her car and leave, Elena heard Rebekah's cheerful voice exclaim, "Elena! Welcome!," while she ran to envelope Elena in a big hug, as if they had been close friends for years.

"I'm glad you found the place alright. Come on inside, it's cold out here!," Rebekah's hand grabbed Elena's gloved one as they headed inside the palatial home.

If it was big on the outside, it was even more beautiful on the inside. Dark wood graced the floor as far as Elena could see, and the warm brown paint on the walls made the home feel comforting and inviting. It was, of course, beautifully decorated with works of art and plants scattered throughout the home, or at least what Elena could see.

Elena kept gawking, unsure of what to say, when Rebekah brought her back to reality.

"Here, I'll take your coat and the rest of your things. And yes, Aunt Rose had excellent taste in décor," said Rebekah as she looked around the house as well.

"Had? What happened to her?" Elena asked absently, still admiring the furnishings of the Salvatore home.

"Oh, well it's a sensitive subject. Don't mention it in front of Uncle Giuseppe and Damon, but Aunt Rose died about ten years ago from breast cancer. It was a long battle, and the whole family suffered after she eventually succumbed; none more than Damon and Uncle Giuseppe. When she died, something died in them too. I mean, Rose was Uncle's soul mate, the love of his life. How can you overcome that? And Damon loved his mother….there's a lot of her in him. I feel like that's why Uncle Giuseppe has a better relationship with Stefan…because Damon reminds him too much of Rose. Things are a lot better now than they were of course. Anyways sorry for the overshare, but since we're soon to be related, it's best if you know now. I'm surprised Stefan didn't tell you, though I'm sure it's touchy for him too."

Elena looked sadly at Rebekah, knowing how hard it was to lose a parent.

"We didn't really like to talk about those kind of things. Thanks for telling me though." Elena smiled softly at Rebekah, and the blonde returned the favor.

"Well, let's not stand in the foyer any longer. Come on, we'll go into the kitchen; everyone's in there watching Damon cook our feast." giggled Rebekah, "Oh, and by the way, adorable jumper!"

"Thanks, it was my dad's" called out Elena as she followed Rebekah. Elena took the time to take in the details of the home's décor as they made their way to the kitchen. She admired the dark wood fireplace in the living room, the comfortable-looking leather couches, the personal family accents on the walls and tables…it made Elena feel at home, even though it was almost the complete opposite of her home.

As they walked closer to the kitchen, the sound of laughter became louder and louder. When they were outside the archway leading to the kitchen, Elena could see that Elijah, Klaus, and Giuseppe were all sitting on stools in front of the marble countertops facing Damon. They were all doubled over in laughter while the latter prepared Christmas dinner, which appeared to be a variety of pasta dishes.

The kitchen, like the rest of the house, was rather large. The walls were painted a deep red with the same dark wood plastering the cabinets, floor, and counters. The countertops were a black marble finish, and all the appliances seemed to be state of the art.

When the group noticed Rebekah and Elena in the archway, they all turned to great their guest. Elijah and Klaus bounded up to be the first to kiss her hand and Giuseppe came soon after to give her a hug, while Damon simply stared at her from his perch in front of the oven.

They all invited her to take a seat with them, and of course the only stool open was the one in front of the oven….subsequently right in front of the person she was trying to avoid. Oh well, she thought, I will just turn my attentions to his family.

"Sit Elena, Elijah and I were just regaling Damon and Uncle Giuseppe with tales of our colorful indiscretions back home. I'm sure you'd love to hear some stories." Klaus said, adding a playful wink at the end.

"I would Klaus. How did you guys end up in Mystic Falls anyways?"

"Well that, Elena, is not as interesting as our other stories but we'd love to share. We were born in England, though our father was Swedish, hence our last names. Our mother was Damon and Stefan's mother. Anyways, we lived happily and went to school in London until about two years ago, when our parents died. Don't make that face," Elijah said as he saw Elena's sad face, "they both died within months of each other. First, my father died of a heart attack. My mother followed a few months later of a bad case of pneumonia, though we say it was truly because of a broken heart. Anyways, we could've stayed in England with our friends and some of our mother's family, but Uncle Giuseppe offered us a place to stay and jobs in his company, and we couldn't refuse to be around family."

With that, Elijah put his arms around Rebekah and Giuseppe, and Elena felt her heart ache a little more. They were all so close….what they had was all she wanted in this world.

:Elena's musings were interrupted by Klaus, "Enough with these sad stories brother. Let's tell Elena about the time we were in Chicago and…."

"No no no Klaus, no one should have to hear that story! You'll scare her away, and I quite like her." chimed Rebekah with a horrified expression.

"Alright well we'll tell her about that time in…."

"Klaus don't you dare tell her about that time in Bulgaria with the strippers!" Rebekah shouted.

"Sister, you do really take the fun out of everything….alright I'll behave."

"Good. Now Damon, hurry up with dinner. I'm starving."

"Hush Blondie, the perfection that is my cooking takes awhile. Why don't you take this little party to the living room so that I can concentrate on dinner and not burning off all your hair," added Damon with what Elena noticed was his signature smirk.

Rebekah gave an annoyed glance before saying, "Alright, it seems like the Mario Batali wannabe would like some privacy with the noodles. Let's get out of here before he throws a hissy."

They all got up to move to the living room, but before Elena could leave Damon stopped her, "Wait Elena, stay here and help me. I'd like to get to know my future sister-in-law better."

Every bone in Elena's body was telling her to refuse Damon and go with the rest of the party, but again against her better judgment, she stayed. She resumed her seat in front of the oven and watched Damon work. He was wearing a long sleeved black sweater, which happened to inconveniently ride up to show his toned physique when he made the slightest movements. He was also wearing a pair of low-slung dark wash jeans which accentuated his very nice behind, which of course Elena took time to appreciate when his back was turned. Elena was silently kicking herself for so easily falling into the trap of checking him out. So far she was completely failing her mission of avoiding the mysterious older Salvatore brother, and she was pretty sure that mission was doomed from the start.

He turned back around and finally said something to her, "So how long have you been dating my baby brother Elena? He never told me about you or your engagement and trust me, I would have remembered hearing about you. Where's your engagement ring at anyways?"

Elena was surprised by his assault of questions, but quickly pulled herself together. From what she could tell, Damon was an jerk and therefore, she didn't feel bad lying to him.

"We've only been seeing each other for a few months. We met one night when I was working at the Mystic Grill and I guess we just hit it off. Neither of us really told anyone else about our relationship, but I think we were going to over the holidays. And he just asked me yesterday spontaneously so we haven't picked out a ring yet. Any other questions while you're at it?" Elena replied hotly.

Damon looked up apologetically from the sauce he was preparing and said "Look Elena, I'm not trying to be a dick. Stefan's my brother and I'm just trying to look out for him okay? You seem nice enough, but he's been played before; we both have as a matter of fact. Can we just start over? I'd really like to get to know the girl my brother apparently fell in love with, in more ways than one" as Damon smirked.

"Fine Damon, but if we're going to be friends you have to stop doing that eye thing and smirking all the time."

"I have no idea what you are talking about Elena." Damon said, while not so subtlely doing both.

Elena brushed him off, adding ,"Oh, and stop hitting on me. Last time I checked, it wasn't in good taste to flirt with your brother's fiancée."

"Yeah, well your fiancé didn't seem to get that concept a few months ago…"

"Damon, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing, just forget I said anything. Anyways, so tell me about yourself Elena. Since my brother never mentioned you, I have nothing to go off of."

Elena considered asking him about it again, but one look at Damon's face told her that she probably shouldn't. Instead, she said, "What do you want to know? I'm 22, I work as a waitress at Mystic Grill, I have one brother who is currently going to school for graphic design and he's the only family I have left, besides Stefan of course."

"And you also have a great taste in clothes. Tell me, where did you get that sweater?"

"Hey asshole, it was my dad's. He wore it around Christmas every year and it's one of the only things I have left of him, so back off."

"I'm sorry Elena, it was meant to be a joke….if you don't mind me asking, what happened to your parents?"

"I don't want to talk about it Damon. Why don't you tell me about yourself Damon, seeing as how you're going to eventually be my brother-in-law."

"There's not much to say about me. I'm 25. I work for my dad's company, which I will one day be forced to take over. You know my family, so I think that about sums it up."

"And clearly you like to cook. What are you making for dinner?"

"Well, as you've gone blind, I'm making different kind of pastas. It's a Salvatore family tradition to have this on Christmas; my grandfather brought it over from Italy."

"Obviously I can tell it's pasta. I was simply wondering what kind of pasta."

"I'm making gnocchi in a chicken pesto sauce, spaghetti and meatballs, and an alfredo penne dish. Would you like any more details on tonight's feast?" Damon asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Sorry, I was just trying to make conversation. I thought that was why you were keeping me in here. If you'd like, I can just join the others and leave you in here to finish dinner." Elena got up and she was halfway out the kitchen when she heard Damon groan and yell, "Wait!"

Elena turned back to look at Damon, and he said, "I'm sorry I'm being such a dick Elena. It's just been a rough day. Stefan's one of my best friends in the whole world and he's my only brother. The thought that he may never wake up is scaring me. Plus, family time is always stressful; it's full of incessant chatter and fake sentiments in my opinion."

Elena could see the concern in his eyes, and she melted a bit more. She could understand where he was coming from, and though he was being a first rate jackass, it was the season of giving. She walked back and gave him a hug. She felt a spark by a mere touch, and she didn't know how to let go. She whispered to him as she was rubbing his back, "It's going to be okay, Damon. He'll be fine"

She finally found the resolve to break the hug before it even had the possibility of turning into something else and when she looked up at him, his bright blue eyes almost pierced through her.

"Thanks Elena. I know it must be hard on you too."

"Yeah, but it isn't anything I haven't dealt with before. Stefan's strong Damon, he'll pull through."

"I hope so." murmured Damon.

They stood there for a few moments, simply staring at each other's eyes. Their stare was soon broken by the sound of boiling water. Damon resumed preparing dinner, mumbling to Elena, "I'll finish up in here. Go ahead and join my charming cousins Elena. I'm sure they have some very entertaining stories about me and Stefan that they'd love to share with you."

Elena looked at Damon, preparing to protest and stay there with him, but she decided it would be safer with Rebekah and the rest of the family.

"Alright Damon, let me know if you need anything."

She turned around and headed into the living room, where a hushed conversation was going on between Rebekah and Klaus. She couldn't catch a word of it, and when she tried they turned around and smiled at her.

"Elena! It seems Damon has set you free. I think we were about to start a rousing game of Pictionary, but I think that will have to wait until after dinner when there will be even teams. Is that alright with you?" Rebekah asked sweetly.

"Sure, though I should warn you that I am terrible at drawing. My brother received all of the artistic genes I'm afraid."

"Well that's alright, we'll pair you with Damon. He has a bit of an artsy streak, so that should help; did he tell you that he designs and builds furniture as a hobby?"

"No, he neglected to mention that. I bet his pieces are lovely though."

"They are. For awhile, he wanted to open his own furniture company…but Uncle Giuseppe needed him to stay with the company." added Elijah.

Giuseppe then cut in gruffly, "It's a nice hobby, but it wouldn't provide a stable income. Plus I need someone prepared to take over the company when I'm gone."

Before anything else could be said on the matter, the man himself entered the living room saying, "And dinner is served. Please, don't thank me all at once for the pleasure your taste buds are about to receive."

The group walked into the dining room, which stood adjacent to the kitchen. It held cabinets full of fine china, as well as a long dining table that appeared to seat at least twenty people. Three large plates sat in the middle of the table, with baskets of varying kinds of bread next to the plates, and it all smelled absolutely heavenly. Elena had no idea where to start, so she stood as the rest of the group served themselves and sat down. Just as she was about to serve herself, someone behind her whispered in her ear, "I suggest the gnocchi. It's delicious, if I do say so myself."

Elena blushed and tried to keep herself calm, but Damon just did things to her. She moved quickly so that she could avoid a scene, taking Damon's advice of getting the pesto gnocchi and a piece of garlic bread. She sat down in between Klaus and Rebekah so as to avoid another encounter, and when Rebekah offered her some red wine, Elena enthusiastically shook her head yes. Wine might be able to help her deal with Damon, or so she hoped.

Dinner went by smoothly, and it was filled with entertaining conversation. Elena was glad that she had taken Damon's suggestion because the gnocchi was to die for. She had even gotten a second helping of it. Soon the group was too full for dessert, so they moved to the living room to begin Pictionary. Rebekah and her brothers insisted that Damon be Elena's partner, and after that Klaus and Elijah teamed up and Rebekah joined Giuseppe saying enthusiastically, "Come on Uncle Giuseppe, let's cream these losers!"

Elena wasn't exaggerating when she said that she was bad at drawing. To the ordinary eye, her sketches looked like blobs and squiggles that couldn't be anything real; however, Damon seemed to have a mind connection with Elena, as he guessed almost every single one correctly. They worked together incredibly, and they were having a great time together. Of course, when he drew she got all of them right as well. His talent for design was undeniable, and together they were obliterating the competition.

Rebekah was on the verge of throwing a fit because her team of her last place, so the group decided collectively to stop for the well-being of everyone involved. It was getting pretty late, and this time Elena had had a few glasses of wine; if she didn't leave soon, she would be forced to stay at the boarding house for the night. She knew she wouldn't be able to handle being so close to Damon, so she decided to announce her departure.

"No Elena, don't leave! The party's just beginning!" whined Rebekah.

"Yes Elena, please stay. We rather enjoy your company." added Elijah.

"I'm sorry you guys. If I don't go home right now I might never leave, and I'm so tired from the past couple days that I think I just need to sleep in my own bed tonight. Don't worry, we can get together again soon. I promise."

And she meant it. She had genuinely laughed more and smiled more in the last few hours than she had in the last few months. They had accepted her as one of their own even though they had only known her for a day. She knew that she should stop the charade and just tell them the truth, but that would more than likely mean losing them…and she wasn't sure she could hand that right now.

Damon spoke up next, "I'll walk you out."

Elena nodded, quickly hugged and said goodbye to Giuseppe and the Mikaelsons, and walked towards the foyer. Damon retrieved her coat and purse for her, and she quickly put them on and walked out the door behind him. When they got to her car, Elena was ready to give him a hug and leave; however, he seemed to have a different plan.

"I have a gift for you Elena."

Elena sighed and said, "Please tell me it's not your dick in a box."

"Well it involves a box, but unfortunately for you, that isn't inside. Here." Damon shoved a small box at her, unwilling to elaborate.

Elena was afraid to open the box, but with Damon watching her, she didn't have any other choice. She opened it, and right then she started tearing up.

Inside the box sat a white gold diamond ring. The main stone was a large emerald cut, with a smaller emerald cut stone on either side of it; it was breathtaking.

"Why are you giving this to me Damon?"

"Well, you told me that my boneheaded brother didn't give you a ring…and I so happened to have one so…"

"This was your mother's ring, wasn't it?"

Damon nodded, unable to say the words.

"Damon, thank you. It means so much to me that you'd give this to me, but I can't accept it."

"Yes you can Elena, and you will. She wanted me to give it to the woman I love, and seeing as I have no plans to ever get married, I might as well give it to the love of my brother's life. I know she would have loved you and would have wanted you to have it. Just consider it a Christmas gift from me and my family. And this way, Stefan can save money so that you two can have an awesome honeymoon." Damon said with a soft smile.

Elena could see past his smile and observed the tears pooling in his eyes. She could never repay him for this gift.

"Thank you Damon, I know how much this means to you. But I feel awful….I don't even have a gift to give you or any of your family."

"Trust me Elena, you're presence is enough."

They stood there silently again, simply staring at each other. Elena still held the box in her hand,

Damon grabbed it from her and took out the ring, "Here, let me put it on for you." He grabbed her left hand and slipped it on to her ring finger. Her breath hitched as he finished putting it on; it fit perfectly.

Elena could feel the tension building between them and decided that it was definitely time to leave before something happened. She grabbed him in a tight hug, hoping that the embrace could sufficiently thank him and convey her emotions, as she seemed to be at a loss for words.

She let go, quickly whispering, "Thanks for everything Damon, I'll see you soon."

He grabbed her and kissed her cheek, hovering for a minute before adding, "It's been a pleasure."

Goosebumps graced her arms as she swiftly jumped into her car. She put on her seatbelt and shoved the keys in the ignition; she didn't even bother turning on the heat because she just needed to get out of there as soon as possible. She waved at Damon as she sped out of the driveway. All the way home all she could think about is what she wanted to do to him, starting with a kiss and ending with….

No! He was not her fiancé, or fake fiancé for that matter. He had his moments of complete and utter asshattery, oh, and he was her fake fiancé's brother. All signs were leading towards a big NO.

Before she could even replay the night's events again, she was in her driveway. She dragged herself out of her car, feeling completely exhausted all of a sudden. She rushed into her house, throwing her coat and purse on the kitchen chair. She thought that she should check her phone, but she was too tired. She bounded up the stairs, reaching her room and quickly changing into a cami and a worn pair of comfortable flannel pajama pants.

She curled up in bed with Mason, too lazy to even begin her nightly routine. She ruffled his hair, mumbling, "You're the only boy I can trust Mason. How sad is that?"

The dog looked at her almost as though he could understand her, but then drifted back to sleep.

"Good idea boy, I think I'll do the same."

But as Elena laid her head down on the pillow, all of her thoughts about what had happened that night came flooding back; it wasn't until two hours later that Elena finally drifted off. Unfortunately, even her dreams were wrought with Damon…

* * *

**A/N: So I know that was kindof a sucky ending, but I got tired of looking at it haha. I also wanted to make sure that I posted something for you guys before I left. What I want to know is if you'd like me to have another Elena POV, or if you'd like a Damon POV of what's happened next chapter. Let me know in your reviews...and if you're extra nice, I'll be sure to include a dream scene ;) So please, read and review! Any comment helps! Oh, and I'll put the links to the sweater and the engagement ring on my page (I got it off of Tiffany's haha!)**


End file.
